Federal limits at 14 and 15
In non-farm jobs covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, a 14 or 15 year old may work only outside school hours and within these limits:
| Limit | School in session | School not in session |
|---|---|---|
| Hours in a day | 3, Fridays included | 8 |
| Hours in a week | 18 | 40 |
| Time of day | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; until 9 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day | |
A shift from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m. on a Tuesday in October is 3.5 hours, half an hour over the school-day limit. The same shift on a Saturday is within the 8-hour limit and ends at 7:00 p.m., which is allowed.
29 CFR 570.35(a).
What counts as a school week
A week counts as a school week if the local public school district where the young person lives is in session for at least one day or part of a day. So a week with one school day and four holidays still has the 18-hour limit. The week is the employer's fixed 168-hour workweek. Summer school held on top of the regular school year counts as outside school hours.
29 CFR 570.35(b).
Ages 16 and 17
The Department of Labor says 16 and 17 year olds "may be employed for unlimited hours in any occupation" other than those it has declared hazardous. Federal law sets no daily, weekly or time-of-day limit at these ages. Many states do.
DOL Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #43.
Under 14
Children under 14 may not be employed in non-farm jobs covered by the FLSA. Farm work has its own age rules, which this page does not cover.
DOL Fact Sheet #43; 29 CFR 570.2.
Exceptions
- A parent's business. A parent, or a person standing in for a parent, may employ their own child outside these age rules, except in manufacturing, mining and jobs declared hazardous.
- No longer in school. The school-hours limits do not apply to a 14 or 15 year old who has graduated from high school, has been excused from school under state law after eighth grade, or is in one of the other situations listed in the rule.
- School programs. Students in an approved Work Experience and Career Exploration Program or a work-study program have different limits on some of the rules.
- Sports attendants. 14 and 15 year olds doing sports-attending work at professional sporting events are outside the hours and time-of-day limits, for the duties the rule lists.
29 CFR 570.2(a)(2); 29 CFR 570.35(c), 570.36, 570.37.
State laws
States have their own child labor rules, and an employer must follow both. When both apply, the Department of Labor says "the law with the stricter standard must be obeyed." This checker tests the federal rule only. Look up your state through the Department of Labor's state labor law pages.
DOL Fact Sheet #43; DOL YouthRules, Non-Agricultural Jobs 14-15.
Questions
Can a 15 year old work on a weekday school holiday?
Yes, up to 8 hours that day, because a day when school is not in session is outside school hours. If school met on any other day that week, the 18-hour weekly limit still applies.
Can a 14 year old work 4 hours on a Saturday during the school year?
Yes, if school is not in session that day. The 8-hour daily limit then applies, but the hours still count toward the 18-hour school-week limit.
Sources
- 29 CFR 570.35, Hours of work and conditions of employment for minors 14 and 15 years of age (eCFR)
- 29 CFR 570.2, Minimum age standards (eCFR)
- DOL Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions for Nonagricultural Occupations
- DOL YouthRules: Non-Agricultural Jobs, 14 and 15
- Rules checked
- October 26, 2026
- Written by
- SumTrue
- Tested against
- Published test cases
- Limits
- Not legal, tax or payroll advice. An estimate from the rules named above. See the Disclaimer.